Love him or hate him, The Simpsons sure did (not really, may writers went to Ivy League Schools so they’re even more in on his jokes), Mark Russell was an acquired taste even for diehard PBS viewers. Some members of Gen X may remember him being a minor member of Real People. Being a dorky kid who followed politics somewhat after the election of Carter, I didn’t mind Mark. I felt his humor was on par with MAD in how he often used standards with his musical jokes about current events and the DC cabal. His quarterly program was usually something my grandparents liked to watch too. Not sure why. I figure they knew the tunes but not always who he was mocking since Grandma thought all the Kennedys could walk on water and Grandpa hated everybody elected. At least he skewered them all equally and as comedian Dave Anthony said on Twitter, “Was always such an indictment of the people in DC that this guy had a career.” I’m going to defer to Dave’s hatred of the status quo and not as shit talk about Mark.
I want to bring up one of his best bits mocking the GOP’s 1984 convention in Dallas.
I’d say his easy joke remains rather spot-on 39 years later. Today, we’d add horizontal black stripes representing all their flunkies in prison for January 6th even though we know they were orange jumpsuits or blue outfits in prisons now.
Farewell Mark and thanks for everything!